Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom by Deborah Yaffe

Sep 14, 2016 Dov Zeller rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, memoirific, american-history, film, interviews, london, literary-fandom

A couple years ago, when I was in an MFA program at Umass, I was taking a walk with A, a fellow transmasculine person in the program, and talking about my love of Jane Austen. A said she'd never read Austen, grumbling that she'd always seen Austen as a "women's writer" or even worse, a writer for "girls."

I was dumbstruck. It had never occurred to me that reading Jane Austen was in any way un-guy-ish or a threat to one's intellectual masculinity. Of course, everyone expresses their gender ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Laurel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austen-nonfiction, read-in-2013

There are Trekkies and Potterheads and Twifans, but nothing in the pop culture universe can compare to the passion, dedication and eccentricity of a Janeite. I know this because I am one.

For the benefit of the un-indoctrinated, a Janeite is a fan of English author Jane Austen (1775-1817) who wrote six novels before her untimely death at age 41. Many have read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment and then moved on. Others, like myself and former journalist Deborah Yaffe, were so enchanted There are Trekkies and Potterheads and Twifans, but nothing in the pop culture universe can compare to the passion, dedication and eccentricity of a Janeite. I know this because I am one.

For the benefit of the un-indoctrinated, a Janeite is a fan of English author Jane Austen (1775-1817) who wrote six novels before her untimely death at age 41. Many have read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment and then moved on. Others, like myself and former journalist Deborah Yaffe, were so enchanted by her humor, characters and Regency world that we read not only her major works, but everything she wrote: juvenilia, minor works, novella, fragments and letters. That was not enough. We were compelled to become her fans.

In Among the Janeites, a new nonfiction book to be released next week by Mariner Books, Yaffe boldly ventures into the land of Janeites to discover what makes them tick and why they “feel an intensely personal affection for the writer and her books…whom they often call “Jane,” as if she were a neighbor whose kitchen door they could knock on to borrow a cup of sugar.” Yaffe’s journalist background gives her the perfect training for such a task, striving to form an impression of what it is like to live with the obsession and “tease out some common threads that weave this diverse array of individuals into a community.” And tease she does, interviewing and meeting a wide range of her fans, traveling to England for a Jane Austen pilgrimage to her homes and haunts, and attending Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Annual General Meetings in Portland, Oregon and Fort Worth, Texas.

After the lively introduction which explores her motivations for writing the book, it is broken down into three parts, much like dramatic structure of Austen’s three volume novels. Within the ten chapters one or two different personalities in the Janeite world are featured as an example of the diversity of Austen’s fans and how they express their passion. First we meet Regency fashion aficionados Baronda Bradley and seamstress Maureen O’Connor and learn all about corsets, pelisses and the lives of these two fashionistas. Multimillionaire Cisco founder and Chawton House Library creator Sandy Lerner has her share of the conversation in a chapter called “Sandy’s Pemberley,” writers Pamela Aidan and Linda Berdol are included in the chapter on Jane Austen fanfiction, and Austen scholar Devoney Looser rattles the ivory tower of academia by admitting to Austen fandom and expressing it with the roller derby persona “Stone Cold Austen” in “The Knowledge Business.”

While many of the chapters contain a combination of personalities, “The Jane Austen Code” contains only one: the unique and outspoken Arnie Perlstein, whose way-out theories on the “shadow stories” within Austen’s novels (an underpinning of subtext to sex, hidden pregnancies, and other sordid tidbits) litter Austen’s narrative. We understand. Who else could Yaffe possibly pair with such a character? In “Austen Therapy” we meet Christine Shih and Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer who are proponents of using Austen to help borderline personality disorder and autistic patients, then we learn about the creation of JASNA by founders Joan Austen Leigh and Jack Grey in “Talking Jane Austen,” and relive the creation of the Republic of Pemberley, the online haven for Austen addicts, with co-founders Myretta Robens and Amy Bellinger in “Austen.net.” The book’s denouement culminates at the 2011 JASNA Annual General Meeting in Fort Worth where the newly corseted author attends scholarly talks, shops in the Regency Emporium and exhibits her new frock while dancing to Mr. Beveridge’s Maggot.

“Janeites are rational people, perfectly capable of drawing firm lines between fiction and reality, and yet that distinction seems to melt into insignificance when they begin thinking about Jane Austen’s characters.” p. xxi

And think we do…and have our share of the conversation…and express our decided opinions in so many diverse ways. Like Austen and her finely drawn characters, Yaffe has chosen her cast of players in Among the Janeites so well. There are your Mr. Darcy-like heroes and Elizabeth Bennet-like feisty heroines, but there are also many poignant stories of individuals that make this book so much more than an opportunity to be Mrs. Elton name dropping and rubbing the right elbows. Yaffe is a talented writer whose lively eye and measured humor permeates like brandy in this Austen trifle cutting through the thick cloying cream. We are served up all of the quirks and eccentricities of what comes with obsessive fandom yet she never chides or looks down her nose at any faction. Her wit and humor really shine. In the second chapter entitled “Walking Where Jane Walked” she ventures on an Austen tour to England. Here we experience first-hand her observational skills and dry wit as she describes her reactions to the sites and people she meets in London, Lyme Regis, Bath, Chawton and Winchester, where Austen died and was buried in the great cathedral. As their group assembles for a solemn graveside ceremony conducted by an Anglican priest, JASNA president Iris Lutz hands each of the group a thornless (irony here) pink rose to be placed in a vase on a nearby wall. She was not moved, at all, feeling too crowded for reflection. ““This is a club?” asks an American tourist in a leopard-print coat. “Or what are you guys?”” p. 34 HA! Good question. You will have more than a passing notion after you finish this exploration of how Janeites are born and express their passion.

Among the Janeites is a delightfully entertaining and perceptive romp with Jane Austen’s disciples. I laughed so hard I startled my cat, dropped a stitch in my knitting and turned over my cup of Captain Wentworth tea. Anyone who is amused by sub-culture insights and the human propensity for healthy (and not so) admiration/addiction will find themselves turning off their Candy Crush Saga game or the upteenth viewing of Downton Abbey and reading into the wee hours of the night. Yaffe is as an astute observer of human nature and its intricacies as the great master herself.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose.com ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Gary the Bookworm rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Janeites and Janeites-to-be

Recommended to Gary by: Kris

Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made.
And while the stones of Winchester--or Milson Street--remain,
Glory, Love, and Honour unto England's Jane!

Rudyard Kipling

I've been an admirer of Jane Austen since my sophomore year in college when I read Pride and Prejudice. Over the years, I've read and re-read all the novels, usually turning to them in times of stress when I crave structure and predictability. I've watched the movie and TV Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her, and her for all she made.
And while the stones of Winchester--or Milson Street--remain,
Glory, Love, and Honour unto England's Jane!

Rudyard Kipling

I've been an admirer of Jane Austen since my sophomore year in college when I read Pride and Prejudice. Over the years, I've read and re-read all the novels, usually turning to them in times of stress when I crave structure and predictability. I've watched the movie and TV adaptations with varying degrees of satisfaction but I've always preferred the intimacy we shared-just she and I-as I succumbed yet again to the wry brilliance of her writing. She was my private refuge and I guarded the gate with a dogged determination. I've sampled some of the fan lit and found it mostly mediocre. Among the Janeites had been recommended to me by more than a few Austen acolytes, but it wasn't until Degrees of Affection shared the aforementioned tribute from Kipling's poem, Jane's Marriage, in a discussion group on BookLikes, that I felt compelled to dive into the world of Jane Austen fandom.

And what a world it is. According to Deborah Yaffe, there is something for everyone. Using her training as a journalist, she mostly succeeds at describing, explaining and celebrating a diverse group of inspired, and inspiring, Jane Austen groupies. She mostly skirts controversy, but she manages to provide a detailed description of what goes on under the skirts of Regency women, when she decides to attend a ball in costume at the annual convention of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She accompanies them to England for their yearly pilgrimage and introduces us to noted scholars, experienced Regency fashionistas and more than a few cranks. Of these, my favorite theory places Mr. Darcy on the autism spectrum. A close second, called the Austen Code, espouses shadow interpretations for the novels which are rife with sexual impropriety and gross misconduct. This all happens long before the zombies ever showed up at Longbourn. Ms. Yaffe uses humor effectively but she is careful not to mock her subjects. She honors them for their commitment, for their passion and for their productivity. Whether they are penning a sequel, tending a blog, or hawking tea cozies and t-shirts, they are all united in the belief, as was Sir Rudyard, that England's Jane deserves the world's respect and admiration. Which leaves me with a conundrum: which of my three cats - all male - has earned the name Emma? ...more

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May 21, 2013 Rachel rated it really liked it

Having been a Jane Austen fan for a very long time, I was thrilled to receive a copy of this work of nonfiction about the fandom surrounding the beloved author.

Among the Janeites is a work of journalism, and as such Yaffe has written an entertaining and fun book. She uses a handful of stories about various Austen-lovers, including herself, to show the depth and variance of the love surrounding the author immediately associated with England's Regency era. She doesn't become pedantic by ...more

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Sep 09, 2013 Cynthia rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Janeites: Somewhere between fun and travesty

“Among the Janeites” is in the fun category of reading and oddly enough it also seems to be in the controversial category as well. Is the love for Jane Austen a literary endeavor or a social one? Or both? That’s seems to spark debate. Yaffe first read Austen as a girl and went to her first Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) function when she was 17 in the 1980’s. Since then JASNA has changed mostly due to the popularity of movies and because Janeites: Somewhere between fun and travesty

“Among the Janeites” is in the fun category of reading and oddly enough it also seems to be in the controversial category as well. Is the love for Jane Austen a literary endeavor or a social one? Or both? That’s seems to spark debate. Yaffe first read Austen as a girl and went to her first Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) function when she was 17 in the 1980’s. Since then JASNA has changed mostly due to the popularity of movies and because of the BBC miniseries. People who have only seen the movies and series but never read the books now consider themselves Janeites. The travesty!

Yaffe takes us to a recent JASNA convention and a trip to Chawton House (Austen’s brother’s house who’s estate included Chawton Cottage where Austen lived for awhile). Yaffe also discusses the Austen inspired book spin offs and the internet forums. The forums have some quirky and sometimes downright bizarre members. One of the best chapters was about bibliotherapy where a nurse uses the books to explore borderline personality disorder and a speech therapist speculates on the possibility of some of Austen’s characters, namely Darcy (among others), being mildly autistic. Some people take issue with this because since how can we as 21st century readers fully know Austen’s intent. There were certainly no such terms as autism or borderline personality disorder however, personally, I find it to be a great starting point for discussing the damage a mentally ill parent can inflict on a child as well as normalizing Asperser’s Syndrome and helping those afflicted deal with their symptoms.

Then there's Fashion debate. I had to capitalize Fashion because some of the folks who consider themselves as serious Austen readers have issues with those who dress in costume at the conventions. Though I can’t imagine wanting to strap myself in a corset and put on a Regency gown I have no issue with any of these activities. They’re all a way of having fun, bonding with other like minded people, and, best of all, discussing Austen’s books. Let’s face it there are a lot worse things for people to get up to. Over all “Among the Janeites” was a fun and informative book.

This review is based on an advance reader’s copy provided by the publisher.
(Disclaimer given as required by the FTC.)
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Jun 10, 2013 Megan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved this book. I would re-read it and I recommend it for anyone with an interest in Jane Austen and what Jane Austen has become in our current popular culture.

I am a lifelong reader of Austen, belong to JASNA and am currently the co-coordinator of my local regional JASNA chapter. I have attended an AGM and I will be attending the next one in September. I have read the novels several times, I have a couple of different print versions of each, I have them all in audiobook form, and I have ...more

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Jul 27, 2013 Paul Waibel rated it really liked it

I must confess at the outset that I have never read one of Jane Austin’s novels. Neither have I seen one of the movies based on any of her novels. Perhaps I am missing something, but with only limited time, I choose to stay with those genres I know I like.

However, long ago I discovered the importance of knowing something about Jane Austin and her novels. I enjoy conversations with intelligent women, and I know that there is no better way to a lady’s mind than through Jane Austin. That lovely I must confess at the outset that I have never read one of Jane Austin’s novels. Neither have I seen one of the movies based on any of her novels. Perhaps I am missing something, but with only limited time, I choose to stay with those genres I know I like.

However, long ago I discovered the importance of knowing something about Jane Austin and her novels. I enjoy conversations with intelligent women, and I know that there is no better way to a lady’s mind than through Jane Austin. That lovely lady that a man wishes to know may have little, if any, interest in her admirer. But he need only mention Jane Austin or one of the characters in one of her novels, especially Mr. Darcey, and he has her admiring attention.

Those who admire Jane Austin’s novels to the point of what some might call “obsession” are the subject of Deborah Yaffe’s delightful book, Among the Janeites: A Journey through the World of Jane Austen Fandom (Mariner Books, 2013). They are both men and women who have read a novel or watched a movie or a miniseries based on one of the novels. They catch a kind of “Austen virus” for which there is no cure. So, they treat the symptoms by attending meetings of one the Jane Austin societies that can be found around the world. They dress up in regency costumes. They go on pilgrimages to sites associated with Jane Austen’s life, or even to sites associated with one or more of the movies or miniseries based on the novels.

Ms Yaffe introduces us to some of the many colorful characters who proudly identify themselves as Janeites. My favorite Janeite among the many that Ms Yaffe introduces the reader to is Sandy Lerner. Ms Lerner is a kookie, hippie sort of entrepreneur who made a fortune that enabled her to indulge her obsession without limits. She purchased Chawton House where Jane Austen once lived, sight unseen, for just under $2 million. She then spent an additional several million rescuing the house from collapse.

A newscaster once asked her if she was eccentric. “I am now that I am rich,” she answered, “I used to be just weird.”

Ms. Yaffe’s style of writing helps convey the fun and excitement of those lovingly referred to as the “Janeites.” She mentions again and again a scene from Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, in which Firth as Mr. Darcy appears in a wet shirt. It is a scene known to make many feminine members of the audience “all hot and bothered.”

The Janeites of which Yoffe writes, and of which she is a member, are not any different than those who fill the ranks of the Baker Street Irregulars who dress up in their deer slayer hats and carry around a Sherlock Holmes calabash pipe. They are individuals of all sorts who have fallen in love with a particular fictional character and wish to share their passion with others of similar taste. May they live long and prosper.
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Jul 23, 2013 Margaret Sullivan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013, 2015, lady-russell-2015, jane-austen-nonfiction

I'm a Janeite, and this book made me happy, because it is at the same time the most thorough and most respectful review of the modern fandom I've seen. We needed an insider to do it right, and Deborah Yaffe did a terrific job. I couldn't put it down.

I've posted a longer review on AustenBlog. TL;DR: Read this book, even if you're not a Janeite.

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Jun 11, 2014 Rachel rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-challenge

I must begin with full-disclosure: while not a professed Janeite, I have read the entire Jane Austen canon, in order, seen most of the movie adaptations (I even own the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice, the awkwardly titled "Bride and Prejudice"), and like many a woman set the bar of marriage as the first boyfriend who can successfully sit through the five hour Colin Firth version of P&P without raising a complaint or a making a snide remark. I remain unmarried... ;)

Perhaps the most I must begin with full-disclosure: while not a professed Janeite, I have read the entire Jane Austen canon, in order, seen most of the movie adaptations (I even own the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice, the awkwardly titled "Bride and Prejudice"), and like many a woman set the bar of marriage as the first boyfriend who can successfully sit through the five hour Colin Firth version of P&P without raising a complaint or a making a snide remark. I remain unmarried... ;)

Perhaps the most compelling part of the book is the many-angled look into the world of the Janeites. I confess that prior to Yaffe's book I did not know there was such a vibrant sub-cultural of JA aficionados. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, however. These days there is a "fandom" for just about anything with an international appeal: Star Trek conventions, Harry Potter theme parks, etc. Is it really so surprising that for every Twilight Fanfic that is penned, there is one posted about Elizabeth Bennett and her Mr. Darcy?

But I think what makes the Austen fans unique -- and this is something that Yaffe touches on as well -- is their incredibly modern response to a series of books nearing two hundred years old. Whereas Jane Austen penned her books on sheets of paper her devotees post blogs about Emma and Mr. Knightley from smart phones. To Austen's millions of fans over hundreds of years, Elizabeth and Darcy, Mary Ann and Col Brandon, etc have a staying-power that (God-willing!!) Bella and Edward do not. It's doubtful that two hundred years from now fans of Stephanie Meyer will pay to walk past a hotel she stayed in, whereas today, hundreds of eager Janeites make the pilgrimage to England to trek the path Jane might have walked to church or see the small room she briefly stayed in while traveling to Bath.

Yaffe explains such devotion by citing the universal appeal of Jane Austen, that each reader can identify in Austen's stories something that resonates with herself (or himself! there are male Janeites!) whether it be the romance, the whit, the feminism, the history, etc. JA offers something to everything and in this I cannot more agree more wholeheartedly.

But enough about Austen's books. What about Yaffe's? The author clearly did her research, in large part by fully immersing herself into the Janeite culture. Yaffe does, however, fall prey to one of the greatest threats faced by any anthropologist, ethnographer, or sociologist who tries to understand a culture, a people, or a civilization by living and working amongst them. And the Janeites can certainly be viewed as their own little world with mores (certain interpretations of JA are accepted and others not), language (a whole slew of acronyms to encompass books, plot points, and character couples), and traditions. In her study of this world, Yaffe became too emotionally connected with her subject and sometimes allowed her own opinions to crowd her observations. Granted, Yaffe made it clear from the outset that she entered the world of the Janeites as something of a Janeite herself, though not as ardent as some. Thus, perhaps, it couldn't be helped that Yaffe sometimes let her own ideas of what a true Austen fan should look like, but at times she doesn't even seem sure herself.

For example, in one moment during her Austen tour of England she sits through a lecture by an elderly English women whose only claim to fame is a distant relation to Austen. Yaffe notes with disdain that many of the woman's facts come from the internet and when the octogenarian misidentifies Austen as a Libra Yaffe writes, "I seethe quietly." But not two pages later Yaffe describes the giddy joy of her fellow tourmates (all middle-aged, white women) when they have the chance to dress up in Regency gowns and take pictures in a Regency era English manor house. The reader is left with a sense that Yaffe finds these actions by the women as a tad ridiculous. Yaffe gamely helps the women get dressed but refuses to don a costume herself, saying that while she might be willing to (briefly) wear a Regency ballgown during an upcoming Jane Austen conference (again, strictly for research) she had "no desire to star in Regency Halloween any other day of the year." So the reader is left to wonder, where does Yaffee see herself in the world of Janeite fandom? On the one hand, some Janeites were not "Janeite" enough while it seemed that there were others, in her opinion, who took the fandom too far. Is Yaffe trying to identify the "true Jane Austen fan" and if so, is she doing so by comparing them to herself?

Trying to parse out Yaffe's personal opinions was often distracting, but not so distracting that I didn't enjoy her other observations and the many colorful characters she uncovered. And I'll admit, as soon as I finished reading the book I logged onto the JASNA website to see about their next national meeting. Seems that they will be in D.C. in 2016 to celebrate my personal favorite Austen book: Emma. Interesting...

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Sep 30, 2013 Bry rated it liked it

Shelves: jane-austen-esque, non-fiction, 2013

"Are you a janite, or are you normal?"

Some people like Star Trek, others Star Wars. Me? I like Jane Austen. I am a Janeite.

This book is about Yaffe's exploration of the current fandom of Jane Austen because let's face it - if you slap Jane or Darcy's name or picture on something it has an immediate marketing power that other things lack. Sometimes this is awesome (frankly I love my Jane Austen action figure) and sometimes it's not (Jane porn where Lady Catherine brings Mr Collins to an orgasmic ...more

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Jul 02, 2013 Sharon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel, writing, england

I initially assumed that "Among the Janeites" would be something of an ethnography: an examination of the demographics of Jane Austen fandom, with some entertaining stories thrown in.

Author Deborah Yaffe's description is much more accurate; it's a journalistic investigation. Yaffe interviews a cross-section of big-name fans, from former Cisco Systems president Sandy Lerner (who bought Jane Austen's former home, Chawton House) to Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer, a speech therapist who posits the ...more

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Apr 29, 2018 Mary Pagones rated it it was amazing

A fun and delightful little tour through the subculture of Jane Austen superfans. More illuminating for its profiling of the the modern day Janeites than actual Austen. I never knew that one of the founders of Cisco was a passionate Janeite, and a particular fan of the 1980 BBC version. Pride & Prejudice is one my favorite novels of all time but this book did make it clear to me that I'm not really a Janeite--I don't idealize the era Jane lived in as a purer time, and while I love Lizzie and ...more

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Aug 06, 2013 Rebecca Huston rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 21st-century, all-things-austen

This was a delight to read, with plenty of gentle humour, some moments of sheer laughter, and a serious look at the world and varieties of people who love Jane Austen and her work. There's costuming, the movies, fan fiction, a roller derby queen, the woman who bought Chawton House, tours a la Jane Austen, and plenty more. I had a great time with this one and can happily recommend it. Yes, I fully intend to reread this one in the future. Five stars overall.

For the longer review, please go here:
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Jul 22, 2013 Misty rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, non-fiction, arc-or-galley, cover-appeal, janeite, review-copy-accepted, read-in-2013

My August Rewind (up late, but better late than pregnant... Err, never. Better late than never.

THE BOOKS:
The Fairest of Them All| Carolyn Turgeon [review]
Mansfield Park| Jane Austen (obvs)
Among the Janeites| Deborah Yaffe[review]
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.| Adelle Waldman[review]
Austentatious| Alyssa Goodnight[review] ...more

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Nov 30, 2015 John rated it liked it

Shelves: library_books, history, ebooks

I really wanted to like this book, but partway through I've decided to give up on it. Three stars as it's quite well written; I'd recommend it to those who are interested in Jane Austen, but as someone with only a passing interest and looking for more general reading this one just didn't work.

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Sep 20, 2013 Christina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, dc-marvel-challenge-2015

I would actually give this a 3.5.

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Jun 15, 2017 Carole P. Roman rated it it was amazing

Deborah Jaffe writes with an easy, breezy, chatty style that can disarm anyone afraid from reading the classics. Her book was entertaining as well as a delightful journey into the world of people who are dedicated to all things Jane Austin. My Mom was the biggest Jane Austin fan I had ever known. Pride and Prejudice was her go to comfort book and I know she read it so many times, it fell apart. While I never read Austin's books, I read all the current Regencies that appeared through the nineties ...more

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Jun 20, 2017 Connie D rated it really liked it

Shelves: jane-austen

4.5 stars. Yes, I absolutely love Jane Austen and have read all her books multiple times....but I do not belong to any of the groups described in this book. Deborah Yaffe writes an extremely readable book about official Jane groups, Jane bloggers, Jane Austen rewriters, Austen tour groups, Austen fashion designers, and Yaffe's experiences with all of them. If you like Austen, this will be particularly interesting, but if you don't, this will help you understand the Austen phenomena too.

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Feb 25, 2014 Emily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austen-tie-in-or-sequel, nonfiction, 2014

Suddenly I find myself wanting to order a tailor-made Regency gown, re-read every Jane Austen novel and spend a week on the fan sites and blogs about her.

I want to go to JASNA! (Please imagine me crying this out in this manner) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8O8Cm...
More accurately (just didn't have the same ring to it) I want to go to the Jane Austen Society of North America's next Annual General Meeting, which is more of a blast than it sounds, if Deborah Yaffe's description is in any way Suddenly I find myself wanting to order a tailor-made Regency gown, re-read every Jane Austen novel and spend a week on the fan sites and blogs about her.

I want to go to JASNA! (Please imagine me crying this out in this manner) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8O8Cm...
More accurately (just didn't have the same ring to it) I want to go to the Jane Austen Society of North America's next Annual General Meeting, which is more of a blast than it sounds, if Deborah Yaffe's description is in any way accurate.

Oh boy oh boy, this book was such a treat. Yaffe started the book describing how her own love of Jane Austen started and the rest of the book was the research, interviews and travel she did in the year leading up to the JASNA AGM in Fort Worth, Texas. She interviewed Janeites of every stripe, from professors to fan fiction authors (and of course she had to read a lot of Jane Austen fan fiction too-it made me so happy that she didn't poo-poo it), from obsessive bloggers to collectors of Austen memorabilia (one lady bought a lock of Austen's hair!). She went on a Jane Austen tour, visiting where she had lived and sites of film adaptations (I also want to do this, by the way, if anyone's looking for the perfect birthday gift for me). Every chapter was interesting, well-written and respectful of the different ways people understand and appreciate Austen. Her words in her last chapter sum this up nicely.

We are a tribe, we Janeites. We name our children and our pets after people who never existed, treat an elderly screenwriter like a rock star, and seek twenty-first century life lessons in two-hundred-year-old books, or the tarot cards based on them. Our love for Jane Austen unites us, and yet sometimes it seems that we all love something, or someone, different...We make our Austen into a reflection of our own preoccupations, a teller of our own stories...The rich diversity of responses to Austen captures something real about her-the depth and complexity of her writings, which like diamonds held up to sunlight, reflect something different from every angle.

I spent a summer reading Jane Austen while I was hiking The Camino de Santiago in France and Spain with my husband in 1996. Like many, I caught the fever after watching the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. I remember getting it one or two tapes (yeah, I'm that old) at a time with a friend and doing a small cheer when the library had the last couple on hand right when we were ready for them. I read Northanger Abbey before my hiking trip and finished Sense and Sensibility about the time we realized we were going to have to skip most of the French side of the route. An Australian couple we met on the hike traded us a guide to the Spanish route for our copy of Sense and Sensibility . In cities along the route, I would pick up my next Jane Austen book, read it when we'd stopped for the day, and when I was done, I would leave it behind in one the pilgrim refuges where we stayed. I wonder how many people passed those books around as they hiked the Camino. Maybe they're still in circulation. At the end of the trip, I had a surprise treat. We spent a couple of nights in England before flying out of London for home. An unplanned excursion to Winchester Cathedral landed me where Austen was buried. What a special way to end my summer of Austen. Reading about other Jane Austen fans and their experiences brought this all back to me, and will probably cause anyone who reads it to smile and remember too.
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Sep 06, 2013 QNPoohBear rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austenesque, non-fiction

In this slim volume, Deborah Yaffe muses on what Jane Austen means to the many Janeites, herself included. The book begins with Deborah Yaffe's own personal journey to writing this book, from her childhood spent sneaking classic novels onto the playground at recess and a visit to Chawton as a teen to the tarot card that told her to write this book. She also discusses her first foray into period costuming in preparation for the JASNA AGM in 2011. The final chapter in the first section tells of In this slim volume, Deborah Yaffe muses on what Jane Austen means to the many Janeites, herself included. The book begins with Deborah Yaffe's own personal journey to writing this book, from her childhood spent sneaking classic novels onto the playground at recess and a visit to Chawton as a teen to the tarot card that told her to write this book. She also discusses her first foray into period costuming in preparation for the JASNA AGM in 2011. The final chapter in the first section tells of Sandy Lerner's journey from wealthy book collector to founder of the Chawton House Library. The second section is about writers and how they connect to Jane Austen. There's Linda Berdoll, author of steamy Pride and Prejudice sequels and Pamela Aidan, who used Jane Austen to escape an abusive marriage and found her own Mr. Darcy in the process. Then there are those with outlandish theories such as the one where Mrs. Austen and Mrs. Bennet are suffering from borderline personality disorder, or the theory that Mr. Darcy has autism and that's why he finds social situations difficult. The most outrageous idea germinates from a man who believes there are "shadow stories" behind the novels revealing a secret world of vice that no one has been clever enough to figure out until now. The third section details the founding of the Jane Austen Society of North America and the explosion of Austenania in the 1990s and early 2000s. Deborah Yaffe also discusses the Austen listservs, blogs and the Republic of Pemberley. If you follow or post on any of those, you may be interested in reading about their founders and the history of those sites. Yaffe examines the divide between academics who look for scholarly discussion and the fans who love dressing up in costume, sipping tea and discussing which Austen hero they would like to marry. Yaffe muses on the days before it was cool to like Jane Austen and the small, cozy community Janeites once were. She's a little wistful, wishing for the simpler time but acknowledges that dancing can be as much fun as scholarly discussion. I personally like both. I studied literature as an undergraduate, library and information studies and history as a graduate student so I can certainly hold my own in an academic discussion, but I also love tea parties and period costumes. I do understand how she feels though, having been part of fandoms from the beginning before the explosion of popularity made a once close-knit community into something too large to fathom. I liked reading the stories behind some of my favorite fan-fiction and blogs. I enjoyed reading about the different things Jane Austen means to different people. Most importantly, states Yaffe, Jane Austen serves as a reflection of ourselves. This book is a short, easy read for those who love Jane Austen and her world. I appreciate the lengths Ms. Yaffe went through for her research to make this book entertaining and fun when it could be dense and dull. ...more

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Aug 11, 2013 Anmiryam rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: female-writers-2016, other-non-fiction-2016

An enjoyable and easy-to-read romp through the various manifestations of Jane Austen fandom. Maybe closer to 3.5 stars?

I have always struggled with my attraction to the communities that build around cultural experiences and my sense that investing so much into a single show or author is absurd and faintly ridiculous. Or, maybe I'm just a chicken? In any case, I've tried to attend various fan-based cons over the years, but on the rare occasion I've made it to one (was that a Star Trek Convention An enjoyable and easy-to-read romp through the various manifestations of Jane Austen fandom. Maybe closer to 3.5 stars?

I have always struggled with my attraction to the communities that build around cultural experiences and my sense that investing so much into a single show or author is absurd and faintly ridiculous. Or, maybe I'm just a chicken? In any case, I've tried to attend various fan-based cons over the years, but on the rare occasion I've made it to one (was that a Star Trek Convention or a Dr. Who convention I tried to attend in 1985 in Madison, WI? I went in with a friend and we turned around and left because we felt so alien amongst all the aliens) I haven't felt like I was truly a member of the tribe.*

Yet, I enjoy books like this one that give me a glimpse into the a particular fandom (see also The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie). Jane Austen fan communities are from utopian, but as much as I disagree with the approaches of some of the fan elements Yaffe explores, it's great that people have found a hobby that is intellectually stimulating and provides so much enjoyment.

Plus, I have to admit to that long simmering curiosity also prompted me to pick up this book. My father revealed the existence of Janeites to me around the time I first read Pride and Prejudice at age 13 (which means it was a very long time ago). At that age I would have joined the JAS (JASNA which is the focal point of most of this book hadn't yet been formed), the Baker Street Irregulars or any other group that took books I loved seriously. Alas, in those pre-internet days it was no simple task to discover how to join these groups, and I am easily discouraged (even more so when I was in the throes of middle-school angst) so I never bothered to pursue card carrying membership. As I grew older and found other communities (aikido, knitting, work, parenting), I drifted away from these impulses, but it's fun to read about those who stayed true to that which interested them.

*That said, I head to knitting conventions and book industry gatherings with aplomb and no discomfort. That said, I'm planning on heading to Readercon this year, but am fully prepared to feel like an idiot on the sidelines and hope no one tacks a sign to my back that reads "Faux Nerd". ...more

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Jul 11, 2013 Jaylia3 rated it it was amazing

For those who delight in all things Jane Austen, or those who are fascinated by obsessive subcultures, this book is a treasure chest of fun. Gather a group of Janeites and you'll find yourself in a varied assembly. From obsessive Colin Firth fans to staid scholars, from solitary readers to passionate online discussion group participants, from those who hold conservative values to those who love bawdy P&P sequels, Janeite-ism is a large tent kind of phenomenon and Deborah Yaffe explores it ...more

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Oct 21, 2013 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: austen

I have never joined JASNA. I only toured Bath on a trip four years ago and have never gone to England on a Jane Austen related tour. I have never worn a Regency costume, much less danced at a ball or assembly. I'm not active on the Republic of Pemberley message board and I only check Austen Blog and Austenprose on occasion instead of every day. I haven't written Jane Austen fan-fic, well, OK, I haven't published any Jane Austen fan-fic. Yet.

Despite those things, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ...more

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Aug 06, 2013 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austen-for-everyone

A nice overview of the current depth and breadth of the fan-dom that is comprised of "Jane-ites".

Like Yaffe, I probably fall somewhere in the middle of the Jane-ites: not over-scholarly, but not overtly enthusiastic either (though, when I make it back to the UK someday, Chawton et al. is on the list of places to visit along with Gads Hill and Haworth).

And I'm still thinking she thinks that one dude is a loon (dudes, I think he's a loon - Jane Fairfax got knocked up by Emma's brother-in-law ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Heidi rated it really liked it

It's nice to know others can appreciate and understand the obsession with this amazing writer!

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Jan 16, 2017 Jenny rated it really liked it

I enjoy Jane Austen, but no where close to being a Janeite; so this book was fascinating to read about her impact literature and pop culture and the people who adore her and her books. When I was finished, I definitely realized I need to read more Jane Austen :)

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Aug 25, 2013 Judy Lesley rated it liked it

Shelves: jane-austen, non-fiction

People who consider themselves Janeites - devoted fans of the writings of Jane Austen - come in all different types, just like any other group of fans of any person, group, or product. I would definitely classify myself as a "quiet" Janeite. One who enjoys moving out into the world of Jane Austen fanfiction sometimes, but who doesn't own a Jane Austen Action Figure or bobble-head doll because I never knew such things existed. Now that I know they exist because I read about them in this People who consider themselves Janeites - devoted fans of the writings of Jane Austen - come in all different types, just like any other group of fans of any person, group, or product. I would definitely classify myself as a "quiet" Janeite. One who enjoys moving out into the world of Jane Austen fanfiction sometimes, but who doesn't own a Jane Austen Action Figure or bobble-head doll because I never knew such things existed. Now that I know they exist because I read about them in this book.....I still don't own one. Nevertheless, I was still intrigued to read Deborah Yaffe's investigative journalistic results to see how other lives have been impacted by a love of the writings of this one specific author.

The research is written around and through details of Yaffe's plans to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society North America (JASNA) in 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas in complete Regency costume for the ball on Sunday night of the convention. Her decision to attend the ball in costume was undertaken to fill out her experiences of dedication and immersion into the JASNA AGM experiences which many of the Janeites she writes about in her book find pleasure in. Even though a regular attendee at the annual convention, Yaffe normally took a more low-key approach to the outward trappings of Austen adoration. The details of how she went about finding the elements for her custom made dress was very interesting to follow and I really appreciated the fact that she did not hesitate to include information for how costly this decision was in terms of dollars and cents. Even though Yaffe had visited Chawton cottage years before (the home where Austen wrote or rewrote her novels), she made another trip with other members of JASNA just months before the 2011 convention to provide research information for this book. Now that is an example of real dedication to your craft. However, somebody has to make the sacrifice. Descriptions and reflections of the many experiences of this trip were very enjoyable for me, mainly because Yaffe did not try to make it seem that everything was totally idyllic and perfect. Years had passed since her first visit to Chawton, she was now a much different person and the atmosphere and destinations had new revelations for her. Once the research was done and the interviews were completed it was time for the convention. I really appreciated the way she kept the information under wraps for who the convention key-note speaker would be. That was a huge surprise for me and a coupe for the organizers.

My overall reaction to this book was definitely positive even though there were some times when I felt that much too much background information was given about the Janeites interviewed in order to show the broad range of people who love the writings of Jane Austen and who love, and sometimes seem to live, to talk about them. Tracing these people's lives back to their childhood seemed to be including too much personal information which was not needed in order to tell their story. I suppose that is where the "investigative" journalism aspect comes in, but I think it was unnecessary detail which bogged the story down and in some areas made it grind to a complete halt for me. My favorite segments dealt with the acquisition of the period-correct costume, the visit to England, the founding of JASNA, and the AGM in Fort Worth. I also enjoyed finding out what was going on in the background for the novels written by Pamela Aidan, my personally top rated author of Austen fanfiction, while she was in the process of writing her Darcy trilogy. I don't venture into the world of the Jane Austen novel continuations or alternative plot lines terribly often because I find I am more of an Austen purist and not the audience modern authors are necessarily seeking. Plus, for me, if an author can't write in the tone of the original novels then the whole book is "off". The looks-like-an-Austen books set in modern day really don't interest me. But, I did enjoy reading this book and finding out how Jane Austen has affected the lives of those interviewed for material for the book. I think those people planning to attend the 2013 JASNA AGM at the end of September will delight in discussing this book. Hopefully Yaffe will be one of the booksellers there in the Emporium with copies for sale. An autograph would be a nice thing to have. ...more

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May 23, 2013 SarahC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My most enjoyable read of the summer was this new release by Deborah Yaffe. Among the Janeites is a well-structured, respectful look at Jane Austen's presence in the modern world and how her work affects her diverse group of fans -- the Janeites (us, if you'll pardon my taking such a personal note in this review).

Yaffe 's writing certainly describes the fun of life as an Austen fan, but this book in not fluff or just an addition to your Austen shelf. In this unique contribution to Austen study, My most enjoyable read of the summer was this new release by Deborah Yaffe. Among the Janeites is a well-structured, respectful look at Jane Austen's presence in the modern world and how her work affects her diverse group of fans -- the Janeites (us, if you'll pardon my taking such a personal note in this review).

Yaffe 's writing certainly describes the fun of life as an Austen fan, but this book in not fluff or just an addition to your Austen shelf. In this unique contribution to Austen study, Yaffe capably details what makes Jane Austen the "ultimate cross-over artist." She provides the timely acknowledgement that, in the 21st century, Austen is both a giant in classic literature and the parent of many creations within our current pop culture, including film, fan-fiction publications, board games, and action figures.

Even though the loyal Janeite is thought by some to be abnormal, he or she finds a certain acceptance in current society. The ever-growing online and local reading/film discussions and the larger numbers at Austen conventions show that we aren't so uniquely weird after all, and our personal support groups acknowledge this. Actually, following the Austen path today often means the inclusion of your loved-ones. Yaffe hears of a married couple among many within the groups of Austen Society meeting-goers who dress in the Regency style for the events . One of them is a male London policeman. Yaffe asks, "A British cop who's into Austen?" The Janeite answers, " Well, no. He's into her. She's into Jane Austen. He's into rescuing bats." And so goes what our companions do for the sake of us Austenites. This seems appropriate to me since Austen's writing is filled with the essence of these connections-- lovers, siblings, cousins, neighbors-- and how they join us and what they mean in our lives. Yaffe does a beautiful job of describing what the echoes of this 200-year-old author sound like in life today.

Yaffe maintains that the dedicated Austenite goes beyond a simple admiration for this long-ago writer. Important to the distinction of Austen followers is what we gain from knowledge of Jane's own life and what she wrote for us in the fictional life of the novels' characters. Yaffe's research suggests that in Jane and her body of work we find a compass, a guide, and even life therapy. Quoting one of the Austen followers she interviews for her book: "You sort of see some of your own issues in her [Jane's] life, playing out still." Through the many interviews, she looks at what is teasingly called the Austen obsession -- a term that most of us don't shirk from owning. These interviews are so skillfully put together that what we really see is a fine collective biography of the modern Janeite. Again and again those interviewed, quite a range of folks, tell the story of love, sympathy, comparisons, and careful study of the ongoing mysteries and the "psychological nuance" of Austen and her very-alive characters.

I found my own feelings and often my own words in the utterances of Yaffe and the other Janeites within this book. From the casual reader (and with Austen, readers quickly rise above the casual) to those who study her for a living, it seems we are possibly all on equal terms. As professor Devoney Looser says here, "Austen matters in a way that many other writers, even some famous ones, don't." If you are a Janeite, that statement may need no further exposition. If you are not, you might see it as an invitation to read. ...more

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Dec 15, 2016 Julie Bestry rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Austen completists, only.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this journalistic deep dive into Jane Austen fandom. And if that sounds to the reader like I'm damning with faint praise, well, the reader would be right.

Yaffe's book has correct grammar and syntax. The structure is sound. The characters (and these real people are, in some respects, characters) have some fairly interesting life stories. I tolerated the book well enough to finish it off in a week and a half, but when I wasn't reading it, I never gave it a There is absolutely nothing wrong with this journalistic deep dive into Jane Austen fandom. And if that sounds to the reader like I'm damning with faint praise, well, the reader would be right.

Yaffe's book has correct grammar and syntax. The structure is sound. The characters (and these real people are, in some respects, characters) have some fairly interesting life stories. I tolerated the book well enough to finish it off in a week and a half, but when I wasn't reading it, I never gave it a second's thought. If it hadn't been sitting next to my reading chair and had instead been put back on the shelf (where it has sat for the three years since I got it), I might never have resumed reading.

It's not dry, exactly, but there's just no there there. An Austen book should be sly, have a little veiled sarcasm, and should have drip with than a bit of wit. I'm sure Yaffe is a fine writer, and this is a fine topic. It could have been worse -- only one person, a boorish man with conspiracy theories about everything Austen wrote, comes off so badly that Mr. Collins or Mrs. Elton would seem cheery by comparison. But it could have been better.

The coverage of the Jane Austen Society of North America's formation and the background of Sandy Lerner's involvement were the most compelling, and I was amused by banter of the married academics. But I felt more than a bit sad for some people who came off deluded, imagining that they'd have to be very naive not to recognize that the readers would find them pitiable. And while the author's search for a bespoke gown for the ball (complete with corset and non-shiny gloves) held promise, not much happened.

There just wasn't any richness or robustness here. In a chapter on the rise of Austen on the web, the author didn't include any threads or posts, just a few brief descriptions of remembered conversations. A book about Austen fans should be refreshing, and reading this felt like going to church with Aunt Norris. If you read everything every written about Austen, this won't be the worst you'll ever read. But you won't laugh aloud, and I doubt you'll ever quote from it. (You will, however, likely run quickly away if you ever encounter the afforementioned boor.) ...more

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May 31, 2018 Speckeh rated it it was ok

I wasn't impressed with this book, which is a shame because I desperately wanted to like this book.

I loved when Yaffe described and told the stories of her fellow Janeites, but I really couldn't stand her narration. I don't know if it's because I'm annoyed by the "I'm an elite Jane Austen fan because of these reasons" or I just don't like the way she writes her narratives. Sometimes, you just don't clash well with a author.

I applaud her efforts to write this book, but I have to admit I was ...more

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